Sierre-Zinal: The Swiss Mountain Classic Calls Again
How Luck and Love Secured My Dream Race Spot
Near a Heart Attack
In the world of trail running, some races achieve mythical status. Sierre-Zinal is undoubtedly one of them.
Yesterday, I experienced a happy outcome to the emotional rollercoaster of securing a spot in this legendary and highly coveted Swiss mountain race. All thanks to my wife's spur-of-the-moment decision, internet savvy, and a little bit of luck. Okay, maybe a lot of luck.
The Race Before the Race
The date had been circled on my calendar for months: April 2, 12:00 noon – registration opens for Sierre-Zinal. Every year, this iconic race sells out in minutes, turning the simple act of registering into a competitive sport in itself.
I was prepared, positioned at my computer and smartphone, various browser tabs and VPN tunnels open, payment credentials at hand, fingers hovering over the keyboard, ready for battle.
What I hadn't anticipated was Lisa's last-minute decision. After months of showing zero interest in racing, my wife casually mentioned she might try for a spot too. I welcomed the company into my digital angst, never expecting how this turn of events would save my racing dreams.
Death Row
When the registration portal opened, we both entered the virtual waiting room. Or rather, several waiting rooms due to my Secret Service-style hacking strategy.
Then came the first shock: Lisa's queue position was significantly better than mine. While she was steadily advancing, my counter displayed the soul-crushing "1 hour and 4 minutes remaining". In the world of Sierre-Zinal registration, this might as well be a death sentence.
The registration gods had smiled on Lisa while leaving me in digital purgatory. The irony wasn't lost on me. The carefree runner ("This is the race that Kilian wins every year, isn't it?") was about to secure a spot while the dedicated Sierre-Zinal hardcore fan watched from the sidelines.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
As Lisa's queue moved forward, inspiration struck. "How about registering as a team?" I suggested, trying to hide my boiling desperation. A trick that is perfectly allowed by the Sierre-Zinal registration rules.
No sooner said than done. When her registration window finally opened (hours before mine), she easily navigated through the form and registered us both.
Just like that, through partnership rather than persistence, I had secured my much desired start at Sierre-Zinal 2025.
Sometimes in life, as in running, your success depends not on your own efforts, but on the kindness and luck of those around you. Yesterday I was reminded of this valuable lesson.
Why All the Fuss?
For those uninitiated to the magic of this race (though I've written about it extensively in previous Das Z Letters), Sierre-Zinal stands as one of trail running's most prestigious events. Since 1974, elite athletes and passionate amateurs have tackled this 31km course with 2200m of elevation gain from Sierre to Zinal in the Swiss canton of Valais.
What makes it so special? Maybe it's the spectacular views of five 4000m peaks along the route. Maybe it's the unique blend of technical mountain running with super-fast, runnable sections. Or maybe it's the rich history, having hosted everyone who is anyone in road running, track, and mountain disciplines who come together here to test themselves against the mountains.
A Personal Pilgrimage
My personal relationship with Sierre-Zinal runs deep. In 2022, battling post-Western States blues and searching for inspiration, I visited as a spectator. The energy and beauty of the race rekindled my passion for running from scratch.
In 2023, I finally experienced it as a competitor (The French-speaking Swiss call it "Coureur"), an experience so profound I even wrote an article for Runner's World to capture the magic.
For 2024, I planned to return as a "Touriste" category participant to experience another facet of the event, but a torn meniscus derailed those plans.
While my peers raced through the Swiss Alps, I was nearby in Saint Gervais Les Bains and Chamonix – on my bike. The closest I came to running was a wheezy 5K, nowhere near the capacity needed for the Sierre-Zinal demands. This disappointment lingered until the triumphant registration on Wednesday.
A Different Kind of Anticipation
My excitement for Sierre-Zinal is equal to my anticipation for my actual A-race, the Zugspitz Ultratrail 100km (ZUT), but the feeling is entirely different. When I think about ZUT, I envision a pleasant, long day in the mountains. Sierre-Zinal conjures up images of maximum heart rate, endless climbs, salt-crusted skin, total exhaustion, and breakneck descents.
For the ZUT, my goal is simple: finish and secure my Western States 100 qualifier. For Sierre-Zinal, I'm still at war with my previous time of 4:40, very determined to break it two years later.
The Starting Line Beckons
The 2025 racing season promises to be exciting. In just three weeks, I'll toe the line at the GAPA-Trail in my new hometown, my first race in nearly a year. But it's August that I'm truly looking forward to, when I'll stand at the starting line in Sierre, ready to run wild all the way to Zinal.
Sometimes, the most challenging race is the one to get to the starting line. Thanks to Lisa and her split-second decision, I have a chance to continue writing my Sierre-Zinal story.
Everything Not Running
The preorder-only drop of my running brand Willpower went great, thanks for asking. What I don't think I've mentioned in detail is that my friend and fellow Willpower Athlete JP and I put out a fanzine to go along with the drop. It was a totally spontaneous and equally stupid idea, but we love that we did it.
A fanzine is a DIY, "I do what I want" version of a magazine like the ones you buy at the newsstand. Both JP and I have experience with this publication format, as we both had a hardcore fanzine in the 90s. JP's was called "Value of Strength" and mine was called "Keep the Faith". So we knew exactly what we were getting into when we started the Burning Fight Fanzine project. What we may have forgotten was how much time it takes! Between preparing for the drop and our full-time jobs, we somehow squeezed in the fanzine and ended up with a whopping 88-page A5 print edition "Issue One".
What is the Burning Fight fanzine about? Hardcore music and subculture of the 90s, passion for running, straight edge and a lot of personal stuff. Actually just like "back in the day", only the running is new.
Yeah, that's right, "Issue One" implies that there might be an "Issue Two" and an "Issue Seven". We're keeping our options open. If we do it, it will be with the same spontaneity as the first issue.
For now, we are happy and proud that this fanzine exists.
On Repeat
Today's On Repeat recommendation GRIDIRON is the sonic equivalent of getting tackled by a linebacker in a bar fight. Mixing brain-dead hardcore beatdown riffs with a sort of whacky hip-hop bounce, they mysteriously manage to hit hard. Definitely hardcore kids gone astray. Or maybe not, because bands like E-Town Concrete, Fury of Five, Biohazard, Deez Nuts and even some Madball tunes have been doing this crossover style for decades. Some better, some worse.
It's a little embarrassing, but a lot of fun to listen to. I love that kind of band. They obviously don't take themselves too seriously either. I read on reddit that they made fun of someone who tried to buy a size M shirt at the merch table, haha.
The song is called "Talk Real", it's from their upcoming album "Poetry From Pain" and it goes like this:
Where can I buy this amazing running shirt?